Alcohol addiction is easy to develop but thousand times more difficult to get rid of it. It is brave of you if you have decided to overcome your alcohol addiction. Now since you have planned to recover from this illness, you might be wondering how long the alcohol detox and withdrawal phase will last. Let us make it clear for you. Here’s a timeline of the entire detox and withdrawal phase along with the symptoms that you might experience.
Stages of Alcohol Withdrawal
The withdrawal phase is the most challenging part of the recovery process. However, the severity and difficulty of this phase depend on the level of physiological alcohol dependence. This may vary from individual to individual. The stages are:
- Stage 1 or the Mild Stage: this is the beginning of the process where the patient experiences symptoms like headache, insomnia, anxiety, hand tremor, gastrointestinal disturbances, and heart palpitations.
- Stage 2 or the Moderate Stage: patients going through this stage can experience the symptoms of stage 1 along with some others like increased blood pressure, confusion, abnormal breathing, and mild mild hyperthermia.
- Stage 3 or the Severe Stage: this stage includes symptoms like seizures, auditory hallucinations, impaired attention, and disorientation along with a few symptoms from stage 2.
The transition from stage 2 to stage 3 can be rapid if you are detoxing without professional aid. This could be dangerous leading to relapse.
Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline
The timeline for alcohol withdrawal depends on several factors like the amount consumed, frequency or duration of drinking, and co-existing physical and mental health issues. However, an ideal withdrawal timeline goes something like this:
- 6-12 hours after the last intake: mild symptoms like headache, minor anxiety, insomnia, stomach problems, and tremors.
- 24 hours: auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations
- 24 to 72 hours: this is the peak of the phase where the patient can experience seizures mostly between 24 to 48 hours. In the latter half, which is from 48 to 72 hours, they may feel withdrawal delirium.
A few patients can also experience certain unique symptoms like sleep issues and disturbances, mood swings, fatigue, etc. These symptoms can last for months. Hence, it is important to be under professionals’ supervision while detoxing from alcohol.
But where would find the right alcohol detox aid?
The answer is simple-Skyward Treatment in Sugar Land, Texas.
Skyward Treatment is a reputed rehab center that aims at helping people overcome their drug and alcohol addiction. The center has highly trained staff members who are always ready to help all their patients going through the tough recovery phase. Contact the center today to get more details about various drug and alcohol treatment plans.